Utah Poker Players Locked Out of Lock: Other State Players Now Welcome

The new Revolution Gaming Network appears to be following the new US model for online poker whereby individual states have been given the green light to offer Web gambling at the local level while others can elect to opt out.

Utah, to their credit, got the job done pretty quickly. While several states are in the process of trying hard to legalize online poker within their borders without much luck, Utah was fast to pass legislation that would prohibit its citizens from gambling over the Internet. As such, Utah will be the only state blocked from opening new accounts and playing at Lock Poker and the Revolution Gaming Network at this time.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a bill into law this past March allowing it to opt out of any federal regulation or multi-state compact allowing legalized online poker.

While the state of Washington specifically prohibits its citizens from playing poker on the Web for real money, the state does allow various forms of gambling. Utah does not.

To be fair, Utah’s stance involves little hypocrisy, unlike Washington State. It does not even offer a state lottery.

Utah’s legislation, titled HB108, includes the clause: "If any federal law is enacted that authorizes Internet gambling in the states and that federal law provides that individual states may opt out of Internet gambling, this state shall opt out of Internet gambling in the manner provided by federal law and within the time frame provided by that law."

The good news for players in states such as New York and Washington is that they now have a new place in which to play. Lock Poker’s former network, Merge Gaming, blocked over a half dozen other states in addition to Utah.

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